Rear axle suspension



March 17, 1953 GALE 2,631,682

REAR AXLE SUSPENSION Filed Jan. 17, 1950 INVENTOR. %7v Jrew 762/53.

WM, Mia W;

Patented Mar. 17, 1953 REAR AXLE SUSPENSION Andrew T. Gale,Highland ParkQ iQh; assigmr' to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich., 7

a corporation of Delaware.

Application January 17, 1950, Serial No."138,985 f My invention relates to vehicles and more particularly to motor vehicle suspension systems.

In the past many vehicle suspension systems have employed a plurality of bumper pads for preventing the rear axle and its associated differential of a vehicle from striking the under side thereof.

It is a principal object of my invention to provide motor vehicle suspension systems with an improved arrangement of bumper pads which includes fewer bumper pads than those systems commonly known to the art.

Another object of my invention is to provide a vehicle suspension with an improved arrangement of parts for preventing the differential housing and axles of the vehicle from striking the under parts of the vehicle.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved suspension system which is not only simple in construction but economical to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from the following description of one embodiment of my invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a vehicle frame structure embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevational view of the" rear suspension of the vehicle shown in Fig. 1 illustrating the components of my invention when the vehicle is at rest and under light static load.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevational view similarbody ll andframe structure Hi may be formed as a unit.

Referring more particularly now to Fig. 2, the

frame structure I is provided with a pair of longitudinally extending side rails, one of which is shown at l3 and each of which is provided with a rearwardly disposed bowed portion M. For the purpose of simplicity, the description is limited to one suspension only. A conventional leaf spring assembly l has one end pivotally 3 Claims. (01.180-73) clamps I9.

V 2 connected to a bracket' 16 which is secured to thebowed portion I4 of the side rail 13 adjacent one end thereof. The other end of the leaf spring I5 is pivotally connected to a shackle I! which in turn 'ispivotally connected to the bowed portion I4 adjacent the other end thereof. The spring [5 substantially spans the entire length of the bowed portion [4 and is secured to an axle housing l8 by a U-clamp l9 at each side of the spring assembly I5, the housing being disposed above the spring. The housing I8 is of conventional construction having a banjo portion 20 which houses a differential (not shown), the latter being enclosed on one side by a hat portion 2| and on the other side by an enclosure 22. The difierential operatively connects an axle 23 which is disposed within the housing [8 and a propeller shaft 24, the latter being connected thereto through a universal joint 25.

The bowed portion l4 of the side rail [3 is provided with a bumper pad 26 which is secured thereto at a location on the bowed portion between the bracket l6 and a point on the bowed portion directly above the axle housing l8. The

- bumper pad 26 is utilized to prevent the axle housing Hi from striking the bowed portion 14 of the side rail l3 during jounce of its associated wheel l2. Further the bumper pad prevents the top of the banjo portion 29 from striking the under side of the vehicle body which is generally disposed slightly above the top of the bowed portion H. To accomplish this the bumper pad 26 which is preferably made of yieldable rubberlike mawrial is struck by one end of a lever 21, the other end'of the lever 21 being secured to the axle housing H3 at a location substantially below the bowed portion 14 and above the spring [5. The lever 21 may be welded or otherwise suitable secured to the housing l8 so that it extends substantially longitudinally of the vehicle. In the more limited aspects of my invention I have provided the lever 2'! with a generally semicylindrical opening 28 in its upper face receiving the portion of the axle housing between the U- The under face of the lever 2! below the opening 28 is formed with a substantially fiat face portion 29 which fits the upper face/of the springassembly l5 and preferably extends rearwardly of the clamps If! at 30. The lever 21 is thus securely positioned against accidental displacement between the spring assembly l5 and the axle housing l8, the U-clamps l9 fastening these parts together as illustrated. If desired the lever 21 may be welded to the axle housing 18 as aforesaid.

As viewed in Fig. 4, the forward portion of the spring I5 is bowed upwardly in response to the torque applied to the differential and wheels by the propeller shaft 24 when the vehicle is in motion. It may be readily seen, therefore, as in Fig. 4, that the axle housing I8 is closer to the bowed portion [4 of the side rail l3 when the vehicle is in motion. Under these conditions the differential housing assembly which comprises the hat portion 2|, the enclosure 22 as well as the axle housing l8 and banjo portion 28, would extend upwardly a great distance when a severe jounce of the wheel occurs.

In Fig. 3, I have shown the wheel I2 extended upwardly during jounce. It may be readily seen that the bumper pad 26 has engaged the lever 21 and has rotated the axle housing as well as the differential assembly counterclockwise as viewed in the drawings to substantially align the axle housing and differential assembly as they were when the vehicle is at rest as in Figs. 1 and 2. The lever 21 has been rotated counterclockwise by the prossure of the bumper 25 against the torque applied by the propeller shaft 24. Further, the bumper pad 26 resists any further upward vertical movement of the axle.

Under conventi nal construction the rear suspensions of vehicles are provided with bumper pads disposed on the bowed portion directly above the axle housing as well as another bumper disposed substantially forwardly of the bowed portion adjacent the bracket to engage the for ward portion ofthe spring is. I have provided one bumper pad 26 disposed at a predetermined location slightly forwardly of the center of the bowed portion I i in order that the bumper pad may strike one end of the lever 26 not to prevent the diiferential assembly and axle housing from striking those components d above them but also to unwind the spring l5 against the torque ap ed by the propeller shaft 24. The size 'of the lever may be predetermined in accordance with the dimensions of the bowed portion and in accordance with the amount of torque delivered by the propeliershaft 2 5 relative to'the stress applied on the spring 55.

While I have illustrated and described but one embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that such for the purpose of illustration only, and it is contemplated that those skilled in the art may modify certain details without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention defined in the claims appended hereto.

lxA vehicleincluding sprungand unsprung portions, said sprung portion including a frame member having a bowed portion and a body men ber secured to and having a portion carried by said frame member, said unsprung portion in cluding wheel carrying means disposed below a pre etermined point on said bowed portion and a driven haft drivingly connected through universal joint and a differential to said wheel carrying means, said driven shaft being adapted to apply a torque to said differential to rotate the forward portion thereof towards said body memher, a suspension s 'stem comprising a leaf spring operatively connect-ed between said wheel carry ing means and said frame member, said leaf spring being adapted to transmit drive from said wheel carrying means to said frame member, a lever secured to said wheel carrying means and extending outwardly therefrom, and a bumper pad secured to said bowed portion at a location spaced forwardly of the vehicle from said predetermined point, said pad being adapted to strike said lever to prevent said wheel carrying means from striking said body member and said frame member and to partially rotate said forward portion of said differential away from said body member against the force of the torque applied thereto.

2. A vehicle including sprung and unsprung portions, said sprung portion including a frame member having a bowed portion and a body member secured to and having a portion carried by said frame. member, said unsprung portion including wheel carrying means disposed below a predetermined point on bowed portion and a driven shaft drivingly connected through a uni versal joint and a differential to said wheel carrying means, said driven shaitbeing adapted to apply a" torque to said differential to rotate the forward portion thereof tovvan 5 said body member, a'suspension system compris'ng a spring 1 operatively connected between wheel carry-.

ing means and said frarne member, and a bumper secured to said bowed portion. at a location spaced forwardly of the vehicle from said predetermined point, said pad being adapted to strike wheel carrying means to prevent said wheel carrying means from striking body member said frame member and to p lly rotate said forward portion of said differen ai away from said body member against the force of the torque applied thereto.

3. a vehicle including a frame member having bowed portion, a body member secured to and having a portion carried by said frame member, carrying means disposed below said owed portion, power means including a driven snaft drivingly connected through a differential to said wheel carrying means, said driven shaft being adapted to apply a torque to said differential to rotate the forward portion thereof towards said body member, a suspension system comprising a leaf spring operatively connects-:1 between said wheel carrying rneans and said frame member, a lever extending outwardly from said wheel carr; ing means, a securing device olanipingly holding said lever between spring and said wheel carrying m ans, and a bumper pad secured to said bowed portion said pad being adapted to strike said leverto prevent said wheel, carrying means from striking said body me. :-er and said frame member and to rti- "'ly rotate said forward portion of said'di .erential'away from said body member against the force of the torque applied thereto.

ANDWEW T. GALE.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,933,675 Maroum NOV. '2', 1933 2,322,890 Slack June 29, 1943 2,518,733 Walker Aug. 15, 1950 

